Steelers free agents who must be retained no matter the cost

The Steelers have a lengthy free agents list in 2023, but these four players need to be brought back at all costs.

The Steelers have a lot of work to do this offseason as they hope to get back to being a competitive team in 2023. While a lot of fans are focused on what new faces will be brought in, this team also has a lengthy list of in-house free agents. While a lot of those names are expendable, there are quite a few that were important to this team’s success.

While most of these names will at least test what their market is in free agency, the team has to prioritize locking up some of their own talent this offseason. They won’t retain everyone, nor do they need to, but there are some names that stick out as must-haves. Here are the four pending free agents the Steelers need to bring back in 2023.

The Steelers defense was versatile with Damontae Kazee

The Steelers defense was a disappointing unit this season, but one unit that shined was the safety group. Minkah Fitzpatrick was incredible, Terrell Edmunds was consistent, and once Damontae Kazee got on the field, he added a versatile element to the group. Edmunds, who almost made this list, is also a free agent, but I think Kazee is the more important player to lock up.

While Kazee shouldn’t be counted on to start every game next season, he can return to his third safety role once the team has a dependable strong safety to complement Fitzpatrick. I don’t foresee Kazee having a huge market right now, so he should be a cheaper retention option. While the team will still have to find a strong safety, Kazee’s versatility makes him a logical return candidate.